Performance Review Time.......

Super Awesome Morning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This morning I read, “One poor tool, working all the time, but doing bad work, is of small value compared with the sharp, keen, perfect instrument, used only a short time but which turns out perfect work.” In other words, if you are not in a good space in your life then your work will be in vain. Every day is an opportunity for growth. That is how you become a sharp and keen instrument. Sitting around thinking about negative things is just meditating in fear and ultimately manifesting those thoughts in your life. Instead, think about things that make you happy. Create some happy situations in your life. Get active! An idle mind is the devil’s playground and he is always ready to play. You have to be the first to believe. When you believe, you open your eyes to the Happy that’s been there all along. I personally feel that I’m a great person! I’m not perfect and I am constantly changing for the better but I am awesome. I will have unhappy moments but I KNOW that it’s just a moment. My happy is right there saying, “I got you boo!” Negativity has no place here. I make it extremely uncomfortable and it’s quick to leave and go and attach itself to someone else. *Doing my happy dance*

The thing about negative thoughts and situations is you are only upset because you want them to change. Well sometimes, that’s not going to happen. No need to be upset you just have to keep moving. You have to keep growing. Appreciate the situation for what it was and become a better person. Keep asking yourself if you would continue with that situation just as it is….. If the answer is no then why are you sad? You are wasting time……Don’t be the JOY STEALER in your life. JOY is like a boomerang. The more JOY you spread the more comes back to you.

Depression, fear, and sadness come in your life with the intention of staying. They bring luggage and invite friends over. You have to be the one to kick them out of your life. They are going to resist but you have stand your ground and let them know that you are in control. Let them know that Happy is on its way and you need the room. Do you know that commercial that has the mucus moving in and Mucinex comes in and forces them out? Well, depression, fear, and sadness are the mucus and Happy is the Mucinex. Allow the Happy to wash over you, cleansing you from the negative feelings. Trust me negative is temporary…. HAPPY is forever!

Today, work on becoming a better you.  Tell your negative to kick rocks! You have to be better to get better…….

AND remember HAPPY is a choice. You can become a prisoner of bitterness and depression OR you can decide to let things go and be happy. The choice is yours…………

MAKE IT GREAT

E

8 Ways to Create Positive Relationships

by Lisa H. on January 13, 2011

I am in the supermarket. I hope that she doesn’t see me, but she does. It is not that I don’t like her; I just don’t feel like dealing with her negativity today.

I have a lot on my mind and cannot deal with what is on hers at this moment. It is like her whole identity is wrapped up in what is wrong with her and her life. I can only listen to it for so long before it begins to drain me.

She comes over to greet me and silently I hope that she will have something positive to say—she doesn’t—it’s her hip that is bothering her this time. She is a kind and giving person, but her negativity keeps me from wanting anything other than an acquaintance relationship with her. She is a nice person; I just cannot take the constant complaints.

The energy of the relationships you have can make a huge difference in how you feel. If you are constantly surrounded by negativity, doom and gloom, that is eventually what you will feel; surround yourself with positive relationships and the opposite will be true.

Let’s look at some ways to create a positive relationship.

Bring Positivity

Positive relationships are a two way street. If you find yourself in a continuously negative relationship, ask yourself what is your part in it. Has one or both of you got into the habit of moaning every time you see each other? Everyone needs to let off steam now and then, but if its becoming a regular habit, it may be time to re-evaluate the relationship and see what changes could be made.

See the Good

See the good in others. You will usually find what you look for in relationships. If you are always expecting the worst, that is generally what you will find. Look for the positive in people and lift them up rather than putting them down.

Be Interested

Be genuinely interested in other people and their lives. Ask questions and find common ground. Step outside your own life and learn about the people around you.

Don’t Jump To Conclusions

Try to give people the benefit of the doubt. Many relationships have been damaged by people jumping to conclusions and thinking the worst about the other person. If a situation arises with someone else, be direct and give the other person the chance to set the record straight or explain their side of the story. We appreciate it when others do the same for us after all.

Be Giving

Be inspiring and fun to be around. Be there for others when they need you. People will enjoy being with you and naturally gravitate to you.

Like Attracts Like

If you have realized that many of your relationships are negative, maybe its time for a change. Seek out positive relationships with like minded individuals. You could try a new hobby or volunteer. Find places where you are likely to meet the kind of people you like to hang out with.

Compliment

A sincere compliment goes along way. Notice the good in other people and what they do and let them know.

Really Listen

In our busy world, the art of true listening is a rare but simple gift that we can give others. Practice being a good listener and really being there for others. Really listening to others, whether it is our partner, work colleague, child or a stranger has the power to truly transform our lives and the lives of those around us.

MAKE IT GREAT!

E

Rushing to failure......

Easy Breezy Morning……

Question of the day….

How can more be expected when there is no appreciation for what has already been given?

Ok I know that I have addressed this subject many times before but it has come back up again and I want to talk about it.

I mean like, we will complain about what we don’t have at the drop of a dime. I can look on twitter, Facebook, e-mail, even TV. and there are people asking for prayer for something they want. I rarely hear or read someone saying, “I just want to say Thank you for what I already have”. Not working on patience is a clear sign that the Faith tank is low. Do you not trust that there is something better for you? Do you think it will be too late for you to receive your blessings? How do you know? I know one thing if the Lord is the same cat in Old Testament you are NEVER going to get that blessing. He simply told those people that they have doubted him too many times and for that, they will never get what he promised. It makes me think are we not where we want to be in life because we’ve had doubts too many times? Maybe HE is just waiting on us to chill out so that he can do what he promised. There is no point in giving us something when we are not in a position to receive it. It is during this “Chill out time” that we should be thankful for what we already have. Focus on the blessings you have already received.

This week due to miscommunication, my feelings were crushed. As I cried, this flood of negative thoughts washed over my mind. The “why’s” expanded to the point where I began to think, the things that I want will never happen. It wasn’t until I got home that I began to think, “ok that’s enough of the pity party”. This was just a moment and not how it was always going to be. I also thought that nothing has happened that couldn’t be corrected. I was just hurt at that moment. I began to run my favorite quote through my head: “For We Walk By Faith and Not By Sight”.  The crying stopped and I began to give thanks for the things I do have in my life right now. The thing is that at this very moment I have an abundance of positive things happening. It amazes me how one negative thing can overshadow all of the positive things. This is when you have to check yourself. I am human so I will have weak moments but I am not trying to make those moments a lifestyle. I will get what I’m supposed to have when I’m supposed to have it. Right now, I need to work on enjoying what I have, creating a better me, and spreading joy.

Don’t miss your blessing by trying to control something that you really have no control over. You have to do your part. Concentrate on that…. YOUR PART. You cannot control other people. If that job, man, house, woman, child, car…etc is meant for you then you will have it so chill out.

Think about this…………. If you are not prepared to handle the blessing then you will mess it up and end up back in square one anyway……SOOOOOOO CHILL OUT!

I hope that today you take some time to verbally give thanks……. A thankful heart is so much more attractive than a thirsty heart.

AND remember to go to bed every night smiling even when you have a bad day. Be thankful that GOD allowed you to get through it.

MAKE IT GREAT!

E

A little something positive............

Positive Relationships

By Michelle Gielan

Created Sep 23 2010 - 6:56pm

An important relationship in my life just ended... and I'll admit it, I didn't really see it coming.  That event has sparked a lot of thinking about relationships in general, and why I value them as much as I do (I am happy I do!).  Having healthy, productive relationships with my family and friends is the most important thing to me in life. What I have come to more fully understand recently are the reasons why positive connections with others matter so much to me.

Positive, productive relationships demand the best of us. For a friendship or marriage to allow both people to flourish, each person is an active participant in helping create the other one's positive future. Whether we are a friend, lover, daughter, or grandparent, each relationship gives us a chance to invest our energy in making another person's reality better. Each of us needs to fully show up, be present, listen, express ourselves, and care for the other, and that requires time and attention.  When it all works out well, and we can see the happiness on the other's face, that creates, at least for me, the best feeling of satisfaction in the world.

Relationships teach us about ourselves. Sometimes, for good or bad, the person standing in front of us can be a mirror showing us who we really are. If we don't like something in them, there are chances we don't like it in ourselves. Friendships also give us a chance to watch ourselves in action. We can, on a moment-to-moment basis, pay attention to what we are thinking, feeling, or doing in response to what is happening externally. We can plug into our life story anytime, and learn from it.

Best of all, we get a chance everyday to practice acting from love. This goes beyond doing something nice for someone. Acting from love requires us to recognize the times when fear arises within us, and work to overcome it so we don't choose a course of action from a fearful place. That takes awareness, hard work, and courage, but in those moments, when we choose love, we grow as human beings.

For me, keeping these things in mind has been incredibly powerful. It has propelled me to reconnect on an even deeper level with some of the people I am closest with in this world. I have been filled with gratitude every step of the way, and my heart is open as I move forward.

What do you value most in your relationships with people in your life?  What do you do to make these relationships the strongest they can be?

http://www.psychologytoday.com/print/48285

MAKE IT GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!

E

A Change is Gonna to Come........

Quiet morning………..

So reading the bible this morning and it is wearing me out…..lol… So much to remember.  There is still no manual available. So did everyone just go to Moses and ask him a hundred questions? Maybe they just had these awesome memories and didn’t need a manual. I don’t know…..

Anywhoooooo…… One thing I did get is that if you keep doing what you are doing then you will keep getting what you are getting. There are many rules but if you decide to disobey them, you will keep being punished.  We all have bad habits that we are not really trying to break and because of that, we will continue to get the same outcome.

 Einstein said, insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.

I am constantly in a state of growth. If I can find a better way to do something, I will try to give it a chance because I always want to be better. I think life is hard because we are not flexible. Pride, Fear, and Ego usually keep us from stepping out and trying something new. We don’t want to be perceived as weak, vulnerable, or stupid for trying. That’s fine but has it gotten you were you really want to be in life? Maybe it’s the fear of being hurt. Well we have been hurt before and we are still here so I guess you can rid yourself of that excuse. Plus, how do we know that there will be hurt? When we go into it thinking like that, you are already speaking death into the situation. When that happens, we are really saying that we don’t deserve the things that want. We might as well go ahead and kiss those dreams goodbye because we are killing them before the start.

We have to take charge. Stand strong in our decisions. If you later find that, you no longer want to do what you have decided then STOP. There is nothing wrong with making a decision and later finding out that it’s not what you really wanted. Things change and when you get more info, the better decisions you can make. You may also find that what you thought was all good in the beginning you no longer are happy with in your life. Now in this case I say work at it first. Put in the work to get things back on track because there are times that you will have something that’s worth the work. Have you tried new things? There are always new ways to approach problems. We are so quick to send each other articles on negative things that men and women do but there is not too much on how to save anything. The hard part about this is that if you are working at it and get absolutely nothing in return you may have to let it go. Here come the questions of “When” and “How”.  When do you let go? You let go when you have had enough. No one can tell you when to do this because you have free will to make your own decisions. You can get all of the advice in the world but it’s still up to you. This also goes for the “How”. My suggestion is to spend time filling yourself up with positive thoughts and information. The end of something is not a horrible thing it just means that situation was not for you. Have you ever watched a child put together a puzzle? They will attempt to make a piece go in by any means necessary. It doesn’t mean that the puzzle is ruined it just means that’s not where it belongs. The child takes the piece and keeps trying until they find the fit and they are excited when it happens. That’s why the Einstein was a genius. We keep attempting to fit pieces together that don’t fit and sometimes we give up because we think we are never going to find the right fit. That’s why I keep telling us to work on ourselves. When we do it creates a “New” version. A new you will have you doing things a little differently and thus resulting in a different outcome.

This just makes sense to me.

Today, do some research on how to achieve the goals you want in your life. Find a different way because your way obviously not working. Take time to grow into greatness.

AND remember you change for two reasons. Either you learn enough that you want to or you’ve been hurt enough that you have to…… *MESSAGE*

MAKE IT GREAT

E

Stronger

Easy button Friday……

It amazes me how music can express exactly how you are feeling. I have been playing this Mary J Blige song called “Stronger” for 2 days now. I can only assume that it was on the soundtrack for the “More than a game” movie. I love this song because I feel likes it’s addressing my faith. It’s telling my personal story. I have been through a lot and it only made me stronger because I had Faith that everything would be ok. I didn’t start with a lot of Faith either. I didn’t grow up in the church. So, my relationship with GOD was just ok. I knew he was there but there were times I felt like maybe I was being punished because we didn’t have a relationship. I know now that he was trying to build me up and I was blocking the path. When I needed him the most not only did he show up, he showed out! Getting through my mom passing, made me realize that if I could get through that then I could get through anything. I decided then and there that I was in the Faith building business. I know that I have said this before but I’m going to say it again…. The bible says in Luke 17:6, “He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.”  You just need to believe just a little bit and things will begin to happen. This is how you build faith. It’s like credit, you just need a little and then you build the rest. Every time you get through a storm, it builds your confidence and the next storm doesn’t seem as big. Imagine what you could do if your Faith was as big as that mulberry tree….. Now you know I’m no bible thumpin’ type of female. I just tell you my experiences and hope that it inspires you to do something positive for yourself.

I only desire for you to realize that we are stronger than we realize. You may tell yourself that you can’t but you really don’t know until you are in the situation. I use to say, if my mom ever passed that you might as well lock me up because I will lose my mind. I thought I couldn’t live without her. She was my everything. When the time had come, I was practically crushed with love. My family and friends’ love held me up through it all. I was going through hell but for some reason I wasn’t feeling the heat. My HOMIE provided me with everything I need to make it through that storm. Even now when I’m having a “Karen” moment, my phone always rings. That’s why my blog is called “Happy in the Midst of it All”. You can be in the midst of a storm but just knowing that things will change should offer some peace of mind. Then you just have to hang on. Look on the brighter side and think you will make the best of anything that happens. You might as well smile because you are going to get through it and THAT is definitely a reason to smile. Just talking about things with you, I feel stronger because I can look back to see how far I have come. I can see the positive changes in me. I see how each storm has made me stronger. I use my past as motivation to keep moving and be better in my future. Life is like school. You are to learn from the experiences and to grow. If you don’t get the lesson, like school, you may have to repeat. I don’t attempt to hold on to the negative because it’s not applicable to anything in my future. I will be taking the love, laughter, and happy because you can never have too much of that in your life. I’m stronger because I have made it through some storms. I’m stronger because I’m loved. I’m stronger because I decided not to be scared anymore. I will continue to be strong because I have Faith.

Make some decisions today on how strong you will be in your life.

And remember life will provide you with stones every day. What you build is up to you.

MAKE IT GREAT

E



I ain't never scared...................

Grand Morning!!!!

I’m so tired this morning. I had a cake order last night and I finally laid down at almost 2am. It’s days like this that I wish I made t-shirts…..lol

This morning I was thinking about how most of the time after I finish a cake this instant fear comes over me and I live in this state until I no longer have to see the cake. That made me think about living in fear. Fear can sometimes be like a low-grade fever. You are uncomfortable but you are not sick to the point where you can’t go on. Is there something that you know you can do but fear keeps you from developing your talent? For me it’s a couple of things. I love to bake. It makes me happy and makes my house smell good. When I think about expanding this talent into a business my fear comes and snuggles up next to me. I have cried, cussed, and even had anxiety attacks behind cakes. So I take a step back. The last two weeks I have been baking like nobody’s business and it felt good. No one wanted anything I just felt like baking and I already had all of the materials to get it done. Then there was the one that was due today. I can fear that low-grade fever…..but I have to say that I don’t think I will ever stop baking. I love it too much. I have made some changes like one cake a month and saying “NO” instead of stressing myself out trying to fit cakes in.

The point of all of this is that I can’t let my fear control my life. God has given me talents and I need to use them. I believe that by not using my talents not only am I doing a disservice to GOD but also to myself. You never know where your talents may take you if you keep them locked up.  I have to be the one that controls how and when I use my talent. It’s not the cakes stressing me out. It’s me! I allow my fear to put all of these negative thoughts in my mind. No matter that people are constantly praising and encouraging me, it never speaks louder than my fear. The more I think about it, I not only do this for cakes. I am working on some writing projects. I get apprehensive and all the research I have done is so negative. I just keep writing. I know that I’m strong enough to conquer any fear. I just have to stay focused and when those negative thoughts creep in I have to say, “You are not real! I am awesome!” I know my fear and doubt hate me because I fight them tooth and nail because I know that they are haters and never want to see me succeed. Oh well, I know that I was created for greatness so just keeping that in mind keeps me moving forward.

As you are finding out Erica is not perfect (I know you thought I was….sorry). I work VERY hard to fight against the norms of stupidity. I want to be AWESOME at everything I do. I want to think outside of the box. I desire to be the best communicator. I will always love with all of my heart. I will put effort in anything my hands and mind touch. There will times that I may stumble and fall but I will just keep getting up.

The fact is you can live your life or live in fear which is not really living at all……..

And remember when you cheat on your fear with happy, you marry your dreams.

MAKE IT GREAT

E